No 1185 of Living Life Series 1
Vesak brings back good memories of the Buddha. On this day Gotama was born as man. On this day he became enlightened. On this day he passed into final enlightenment. This is a thrice sacred day.
It is day not tainted by blood, not by ill-will and not by violence. There is no suppression but renewed news of liberation from the woes of man.
Buddha shows the way. No one must suffer needlessly for himself and others. No one need to be crucified or sacrificed for others good. Vesak is day to remind that we can suffer less. It is day to suffer less
All had suffered and on the way to suffer less by learning from him. They need only to know how to do so and why they are suffering - why life is not satisfactory or perfect.
They need to go to the cause. Desire or wants is the reason. Ignorance is what drives desires and wants.
False views of immortality when one is mortal is one. There is no eternity of heaven or hell.
False view that life is so mortal that there is no life after death is the other false view. There is no belief in heaven or hell when mortality takes centrestage and no life beyond death.
What is real is that we must neither deny life nor indulge in life. This will place us on the path to do good, avoid evil and purify the mind.
The mind must not have false views. The mind must be enlightened and be free from false views of annihilation or eternalism.
We must value life but not go for more wants. We must purify the mind from ignorance, greed and ill-will.
We do not do so to be Buddha now or one fine day. We do so because this makes us feel lighter in spirit here and now.
We are not bogged down. We feel liberated somewhat and that little bit of liberated feeling that we have for now is good enough - never mind when we be Buddha.
We must liberate ourselves even a little at a time will be simply awesome and good enough. Life is never long enough and death can catch up with us any moment.
Of what use is having more wants when what we have we cannot own forever. We need means to the end but not the means as end.
Even our health is not guaranteed. There are only four blessings in life, the Buddha reminds us. These are the means we need to have.
Health is the highest gain, contentment is the greatest wealth, self confidence is the best of kin and enlightened approach brings bliss.
Go not for gains by incurring others' loss and causing more pain to others. Serve society not serve our own ends. Ask not to be highly paid for service to others as though we will not serve if not paid.
We do not hold society to ransom. That is more for self service and gain.
Neither do we make loss and incur pain when we suffer in service for others. We neither sacrifice ourselves nor sacrifice others.
Others can gain without giving ourselves pain. We do not give pain to others for our own gain. We do not give pain to ourselves to enable others to gain.
We need too to have modest and humble gains when we enable others to gain. But we should not have overwhelming gains for ourselves with paucity of gains for others we serve. The ones we serve should be the real winners and not end up relative losers.
We do not subject ourselves to torment and torture thinking that this is how others will gain. That will be delusional.
We too do not inflict pain to others for our own gain. That would be unbecoming.
We do not gain at others expense and pain. We do not make fortune out of others misfortune.
We do not enrich ourselves by robbing others. We too do not rob ourselves to enrich others either. That would be crazy. We become our own threats.
Buddha has no threats for anyone and teaches us to love all sincerely ourselves included.
He showed by example. Buddha has good thoughts for everyone. We need not even pray to him or believe him. He helps all regardless of creed, color or faith - regardless of whether they are on Earth, Heaven or Hell.
This is the Buddha we know. We know him best through his teaching or doctrine - the Dharma. The doctrine is the Buddha and the Buddha is the teaching.
As said by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 , "Know and see the Truth and know and see God and saints" Jesus and saints too have said that the Word is God and God is the Word.
It is day not tainted by blood, not by ill-will and not by violence. There is no suppression but renewed news of liberation from the woes of man.
Buddha shows the way. No one must suffer needlessly for himself and others. No one need to be crucified or sacrificed for others good. Vesak is day to remind that we can suffer less. It is day to suffer less
All had suffered and on the way to suffer less by learning from him. They need only to know how to do so and why they are suffering - why life is not satisfactory or perfect.
They need to go to the cause. Desire or wants is the reason. Ignorance is what drives desires and wants.
False views of immortality when one is mortal is one. There is no eternity of heaven or hell.
False view that life is so mortal that there is no life after death is the other false view. There is no belief in heaven or hell when mortality takes centrestage and no life beyond death.
What is real is that we must neither deny life nor indulge in life. This will place us on the path to do good, avoid evil and purify the mind.
The mind must not have false views. The mind must be enlightened and be free from false views of annihilation or eternalism.
We must value life but not go for more wants. We must purify the mind from ignorance, greed and ill-will.
We do not do so to be Buddha now or one fine day. We do so because this makes us feel lighter in spirit here and now.
We are not bogged down. We feel liberated somewhat and that little bit of liberated feeling that we have for now is good enough - never mind when we be Buddha.
We must liberate ourselves even a little at a time will be simply awesome and good enough. Life is never long enough and death can catch up with us any moment.
Of what use is having more wants when what we have we cannot own forever. We need means to the end but not the means as end.
Even our health is not guaranteed. There are only four blessings in life, the Buddha reminds us. These are the means we need to have.
Health is the highest gain, contentment is the greatest wealth, self confidence is the best of kin and enlightened approach brings bliss.
Go not for gains by incurring others' loss and causing more pain to others. Serve society not serve our own ends. Ask not to be highly paid for service to others as though we will not serve if not paid.
We do not hold society to ransom. That is more for self service and gain.
Neither do we make loss and incur pain when we suffer in service for others. We neither sacrifice ourselves nor sacrifice others.
Others can gain without giving ourselves pain. We do not give pain to others for our own gain. We do not give pain to ourselves to enable others to gain.
We need too to have modest and humble gains when we enable others to gain. But we should not have overwhelming gains for ourselves with paucity of gains for others we serve. The ones we serve should be the real winners and not end up relative losers.
We do not subject ourselves to torment and torture thinking that this is how others will gain. That will be delusional.
We too do not inflict pain to others for our own gain. That would be unbecoming.
We do not gain at others expense and pain. We do not make fortune out of others misfortune.
We do not enrich ourselves by robbing others. We too do not rob ourselves to enrich others either. That would be crazy. We become our own threats.
Buddha has no threats for anyone and teaches us to love all sincerely ourselves included.
He showed by example. Buddha has good thoughts for everyone. We need not even pray to him or believe him. He helps all regardless of creed, color or faith - regardless of whether they are on Earth, Heaven or Hell.
This is the Buddha we know. We know him best through his teaching or doctrine - the Dharma. The doctrine is the Buddha and the Buddha is the teaching.
As said by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 , "Know and see the Truth and know and see God and saints" Jesus and saints too have said that the Word is God and God is the Word.
